


Queer Acts of Kindness

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Grandmother Wood Universe [32]
Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Grandmother Wood Universe, M/M, Sean Astin/Elijah Wood - Freeform, holiday fics, prompt fics, yuletide4frodo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 06:13:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9165598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: Spending Christmas in Austin, Sean and Elijah visit the pediatrics ward of a local hospital on Christmas Eve.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my Grandmother Wood Universe.
> 
> Written December 25, 2016 for the Yuletide4Frodo community at Live Journal. We were challenged to write a story based on a prompt. My prompt was "If that's being queer, then we could do with a bit more queerness in these parts." from LOTR.

Since they’d become an official couple, Sean and Elijah had spent two holidays together in Austin, The Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, but this would be their first Christmas in Texas in the gorgeous Victorian Elijah had purchased. While Sean always wanted to be close to his daughters in Los Angeles, he and Elijah had begun a new life together, so alternating where they’d spend the holidays had become routine and was working out well. Last Christmas, Sean had been with his girls, so this was his year to be with Elijah. He’d be Skyping with his daughters, so it wouldn’t be as if he wouldn’t be spending time with them, but since Elijah wanted to spend this Christmas in Austin, Sean was happy to oblige.

Even though it wasn’t their full-time home, both wanted to become part of the Austin community, so on previous visits, they had done a bit of charity work. Last Thanksgiving, they had not only donated to a local soup kitchen, but volunteered there, serving turkey dinner to the dozens of down on their luck singles and families who’d come there to get what might have been their only decent meal of the day. Sean and Elijah had shown up without fanfare, and hadn’t been recognized until a small boy in line had taken one look at them and proclaimed, “You’re Frodo and Sam!” To the child’s disappointment, his mother had told him that while the two volunteers looked like the hobbits, of course they weren’t. It was a memory they would both treasure.

They wanted to continue the tradition of holiday charity, so this year, on Christmas Eve, carrying a bag of toys that would rival anything Santa could bring, they visited the Pediatrics ward of a local hospital.

It was difficult seeing the children, especially those with serious illnesses, but neither let the children see how they were feeling. Wearing Santa hats and big smiles, Sean and Elijah handed out toys and spent time with each child, talking with them, even taking photos with them. The children’s parents that were there thanked them, but resisted being fans, not asking for autographs or photos for themselves. This was all about the kids.

Seeing the children had such an emotional impact on Sean that when they stepped out into the corridor, he pulled Elijah into his arms and held him. “Seeing these kids tonight,” he said in a choked voice, “it makes me so grateful that Ally, Lizzie and Bella are healthy.”.

Elijah nodded, then touched his forehead to Sean’s. “It’s bad enough to be in a hospital when you’re young, but having to be there at Christmas makes it so much worse. I hope we helped them forget for a little while.”

Overcome by emotion, and without regard to their surroundings, Sean spontaneously kissed Elijah, a soft, gentle kiss, but the tender moment was interrupted by the sound of someone yelling.

“You perverts!” cried the man coming towards them. He was a stranger to both of them, a middle-aged man dressed in a suit and tie, unexplained hatred blazing in his eyes.

“Take it down a notch,” Sean warned when the man reached them. “We don’t want any trouble.”

“Then you should have kept your filth out of a public place!” Rather than calming down, the man’s voice was rising higher.

“Let’s go Sean,” Elijah suggested, “before this asshole’s ranting draws a crowd.”

A good idea, but too late, they realized, as the door to the ward they’d just left opened, and a group of the children’s parents came out into the corridor.

“What is going on out here?” one father asked. “Your yelling is upsetting the children.”

“I recognized these two,” the man said by way of explanation. “They’re Hollywood perverts, kissing out here in the corridor where anyone could see them.”

One young woman, the mother of a little girl who’d had her appendix out, told him, “They were just visiting with our children. They brought them Christmas presents and made them laugh.”

“They weren’t here for your children,” the man scoffed. “This was just a photo op for them, publicity to make them look good.” He shook his head in obvious disgust. “As if that makes up for their depravity.”

Sean, always the peacekeeper, turned to the group of parents and said, “I’m sorry for the disturbance. The last thing we wanted to do was to cause trouble for anyone. We’ll just leave.”

But the young mother wouldn’t be deterred, getting in the face of the man who was easily twice her size. “Are your eyes closed as well as your mind?” she demanded. “Do you see any reporters here? Any cameras? Because I sure don’t. These two actors came here to visit our children, to bring them toys and make their Christmas as happy as it could be when they’re spending it in the hospital. No one paid them to do that. They did that out of the goodness of their hearts. They deserve our gratitude and our thanks, not the poison you’re spewing.”

Taken aback by the young woman’s defense of the men whose relationship he considered an abomination, the man who had accosted them sputtered, “B-but they’re queers!”

“That may be,” the young mother retorted, “but if being queer means being caring and compassionate, if it means performing acts of kindness and being as generous with their time and money as these two have been today, then I’d say this world could use a lot more queers.”

To Sean’s and Elijah’s surprise, the remaining parents began to applaud her sentiments, and realizing he was all alone in his thinking, the bigot harrumphed and walked away.

With marked admiration, Elijah told the young mother, “That was amazing.”

“It was,” Sean agreed, turning to her. “Thank you for what you said.”

The mother shook her head. “We should be thanking you. Because of you, our children had a merry Christmas. For that we owe you more than we can ever repay.”

“It was our pleasure,” Elijah told her, holding out his hand.

Ignoring Elijah’s outstretched hand, she stepped closer and kissed his cheek. Then she turned to Sean and did the same. “I’m sorry about calling you the same name he did, but he made me so mad that all I could think of was shutting him down in a language he would understand.”

“No apologies are necessary,” Sean replied. “I’m just sorry his ugly words spoiled our visit.”

“Nothing was spoiled,” one of the fathers said. “Despite what happened after, you gave our children a Christmas they’ll always remember.”

Once they were out in the parking lot, Elijah asked Sean, “Can you believe that guy? What an asshole, going off on us like that.”

“It was my fault,” Sean said.

Elijah looked bewildered. “How do you figure?”

Unlocking the driver’s side door of their car and getting behind the wheel, Sean said, “I shouldn’t have kissed you in the hospital.”

From the passenger seat, Elijah asked, “Why the hell not?”

Sean sighed. “Even if people know about our relationship now, we don’t have to…”

“What?” Elijah queried. “Flaunt it?”

“Yes.”

Elijah was incredulous. “Flaunt it?” he repeated. “For fuck’s sake, Irish, it was one kiss. It’s not like you jumped me in front of everyone.”

Sean felt awkward about what he’d said, so in an attempt to lighten the mood he said, “What really surprised me was those parents defending us like that.”

Elijah grinned. “That little girl’s mother was fucking awesome. She sure tore that moron a new one.”

Sean had to smile. “She was fearless all right. Watching her reminded me of Eowyn taking on the Witch King. I guess between their gratitude and the Christmas spirit…”

“That’s part of it, but not all.”

“No? What’s the rest?”

“You know, it’s like Samwise said about there being good things in this world worth fighting for. Only he should have added that there are good people in the world, too.”

“So he should have,” Sean acknowledged, turning the key in the ignition. “Now let’s go home. We still have to put up our tree.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” was Elijah’s opinion, “and since we’ll be in the privacy of our own home, after we’re done decorating the tree, you can jump me.”

Sean chuckled as he pulled the car out into traffic. “It’s at the very top of my Christmas wish list.”


End file.
